GAF vs. CertainTeed Shingles: Choose the Best Roofing Shingles

Choosing the perfect shingle for your home can be a difficult choice to make. Choosing high-quality materials that will last you for a long time is essential. GAF and CertainTeed are two different roofing brands that offer several products.

GAF Materials Corporation was established in 1886 and has been in the roofing business since merging with Elk in 2006. They are the world’s most extensive roof and waterproofing manufacturer offering 15 shingle lines that vary in design composition and are primarily affordable.

CertainTeed was established in 1904 and is considered the best premier exterior building manufacturer. They won the Professional Remodelers Best in Class award, which shows that their roofing materials are high-quality. They have a variety of products on the higher-end of the price range.

When looking at the differences between these two brands, the first thing to consider is their warranty. GAF provides a five-year minimum warranty. CertainTeed offers a minimum of 20 years of warranty which is 15 years more than what GAF offers.

	GAF	CertainTeed
Price	GAF shingles are more affordable compared to CertainTeed shingles.	This is the costlier option as most of their products are high-end products.
Warranty	GAF offers a minimum of five years warranty. All warranties are based on a 3-tier system.	CertainTeed offers a minimum of 20 years warranty, and they are based on several different factors.
Weight	Every shingle line weighs differently. Some are heavier, and some are lighter. The majority of GAFs shingle lines weigh less than 250 lbs. Per square. The Grand Canyon Shake line weighs 450 lbs. Per square.	The majority of CertainTeed products weigh at least 260 lbs. (more or less). The Arcadia shake line weighs 450 lbs.The Grand Manor line weighs 425 lbs.
Materials	GAFs shingles are made with fiberglass-mesh reinforced asphalt. They provide about 3 to 5 layers of protection.	CertainTeed shingles have a solid fiberglass base and ceramic-coated mineral granules covered with water-resistant asphalt.

Contents

Key Differences Between GAF and CertainTeed Shingles

Cost

As written above, CertainTeed shingles are premium products, making them more expensive than GAF shingles. Both brands offer their products in 3 lines, namely the 3-tab (traditional) line, the architectural (dimensional) line, and lastly, the premium designer line.

Below written is a list of some of the products of each brand and their prices per 100 square feet.

GAF Shingles

Traditional Line

The Royal Sovereign shingle line price ranges from $62 to $78.
The cost of the Marquis WeatherMax shingles ranges from $62 to $76.

Dimensional Line

The cost of GAF Timberline Ultra HD/HDZ shingles ranges between $85 to $100.
GAF Timberline shingle price ranges between $115 to $125.

Designer Line

The cost of the Slateline shingles ranges between $150 to $189.
The Grand Sequoia is the most expensive, ranging between $250 to $280.

CertainTeed Shingles

Traditional Line

CertainTeed XT-25 shingles cost between $70 to $85.

Dimensional Line

CertainTeed Landmark shingles cost between $85 to $100.
CertainTeed Landmark Pro shingles cost between $120 to $130.

Designer Line

CertainTeed Woodland shingles cost between $170 to $194.
CertainTeed Presidential shingles cost between $450 to $500.

Products

GAF and CertainTeed offer various products to fit your design, style, and budget. GAF offers more residential shingles than CertainTeed does, but CertainTeed has more available products in general.

GAF offers a 3-tiered product line system. The Architectural shingles are the largest selection of shingles you can find. The most famous line is the Timberline, and under this line, there are different variations such as American Harvest, Armor Shield II, Cool Series, HD Reflector Series, Ultra HD, etc.

CertainTeed also offers its product in a three-tiered system; traditional, Designer, and Luxury. The Designer shingles are the company’s best-selling products. The most popular line is the Landmark line; these shingles have a fiberglass base below a dual-layered laminate.

Warranty

GAF and CertainTeed offer a wide range of warranties for each product. GAF also adopts the three-tiered system, namely the base warranty, the better warranty, and the best warranty.

The base warranty gives you 100% coverage for ten years, including labor costs minus 3-tab shingles that are only covered for 3-5 years. The better warranty gives you 100% coverage for 20 years (3-tab shingles) and 50 years (every other product).

The best warranty is the same as the better warranty with additional features such as 40-point factory inspection and disposal costs.

CertainTeed also offers its warranty on a three-tier system; the base warranty, the system plus warranty, and the golden pledge warranty. They provide a minimum warranty of 20 years, and factors such as climate, country of installation, ventilation factors, and the shingle model all affect their warranty.

Similarities Between GAF and CertainTeed Shingles

Quality

Both brands’ primary thing in common is that they produce high-quality shingles. Even though the prices of GAFs shingles are lower than CertainTeed prices, that does not reduce the quality. Both brands have standard 110 MPH winds alongside a class A fire rating.

Pros and Cons of GAF Shingles

Pros

GAF shingles are budget-friendly.
They are impact-resistant.
They have good wind resistance.
GAF offers upgraded warranties.
They offer fantastic options.

Cons

GAF shingles may not last as long as other types of shingles, such as metal or copper.

Pros and Cons of CertainTeed Shingles